Ultrasound of muscles

Abstract

Muscles are among the soft tissues one of the best adapted to ultrasound examination. In fact, it was the first imaging available for the evaluation of muscle disease. The availability, low cost, and ease of examination makes ultrasound superior to MRI for follow-up of lesions and searching for healing problems such as as fibrosis, cystic haematomas, or myositis ossificans. When dealing with fresh traumatic muscle lesions, the main goal of ultrasound is to assess the presence of a muscle tear or not. Haematoma is the key sign of a muscle tear. The ideal time for the examination is between 2 and 48 h after the muscle trauma. Before 2 h, the haematoma is still in formation. After 48 h, the haematoma can be spread outside of the muscle. After healing, ultrasound can depict some complications such as a cystic lesion or myositis ossificans. Muscle atrophy, inflammation, avulsion and tumours are also good indications for ultrasound.

Pattern of muscle injuries and predictors of return-to-play duration among Malaysian athletes

“…All athletes subsequently underwent US assessment of the lumbosacral region using a simple grading system for severity. (15,21) The median time to first consultation was 7.0 (IQR 12.0) days after injury, and the median time before US evaluation (Table II).…”

“…Severity of muscle injury was graded based on the US classification described by Peetrons. (15) The University of Malaya Medical Centre Ethics Committee approved the study.…”

MR Imaging of Muscle Trauma: Anatomy, Biomechanics, Pathophysiology, and Imaging Appearance

“…Acute hemorrhage immediately after injury produces an amorphous ill-defined region of hyperechogenicity that is easily overlooked, particularly when associated aponeurotic injury allows blood to escape via the muscle's surface wrappers (44). Over a period of a few hours, the hemorrhage evolves into an anechoic fluid collection, which then converts over a period of a few days into a hypoechoic fluid collection that may contain fluid-fluid levels, septa, and/ or internal debris (29,30) (Fig 22).…”

Return to sport after muscle injury

“…Many studies have investigated MRI as a tool to prognosticate time to return to play, given variability in return to play between different sports, level at which the sport is played, and muscle groups injured. In one such study by Ekstrand et al, MRI classification of muscle injuries [34] was utilized [35]. Grade 0 (negative MRI) and 1 (MRI with edema but no architectural disruption) injuries, while they were the most mild injuries, accounted for the majority of the days missed (56 %, 2,141/3,830 injuries).…”